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When brainstorming possible posts to write this weekend, I realized I’d never taken the time to appreciate Lego’s The Resistance Rises shorts. I am remedying that today, because these are super-fun, super-clever, and even know how to bring some serious feels as we get to revisit the Force Awakens era in a whole new way! Let me share some of my favorite things about them as we watch.NOTE: Contains spoilers from Episode VII

POE TO THE RESCUE

The first of the shorts offers a really nice look at the (sort of) average daily life for the Resistance and the First Order before VII’s events. Starkiller Base has yet to make its first appearance, but Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren are still coming up with new ways to make things difficult for their enemies. But when you’ve got the crack team of Poe, Threepio, and BB-8 on your tail, the odds are not something you wanna hear 🙂

Assorted Fangirl Musings:
– Nice hearing Tom Kane’s narrator voice at a different time and place in the SW universe!
– Ackbar is a serious boss you guys. I don’t know how old he is, but he sure hasn’t slowed down! Wow did anyone else sort of just remember that he’s been through the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War and now all this stuff with the First Order vs. the Resistance? It’s almost unreal how much of Star Wars history he’s been involved in! Major respect points.
– (Mostly) acid rain-proof umbrellas. A must for any Resistance pilot! How did Threepio get out there though?? For an old droid, he gets himself into a lot of trouble! #Understatement
– Threepio, I think you may be the first person in the world to look at BB-8 and not be excited. But I guess since Artoo’s been out of commission a while, it’s easy to see how Threepio might’ve been bummed out those beeps and chirps were from a different astromech. Aww that just made me a shed a tear…
– Poe and Threepio’s dynamic is hilarious. I could seriously use more of these guys’ shenanigans in my life. The ace pilot and his general’s very-particular protocol droid! Comedy gold!
– Hey Threeps, for what it’s worth, I’d like to hear the story of that new arm of yours. I probably will once I start going through all those comics I’m severely overdue on reading. Until then, maybe R0-GR can help you write your autobiography! 🙂
– That graycoat really should’ve known better than to stand underneath a troop transport’s door #Fail #ButWhatAGloriousFailTho The fact his head got attached to the bottom of the door Lego-style made it all the funnier XD
– Boy they had a lot of prisoners. What’d they have against a wampa and a jawa?? Who knows? Probably Kylo Ren’s just annoyed by everything XP
– “Captain Phasma… you have failed me for the first time. Which is… weird. That’s never happened!” Love that he’s totally channeling his grandpa-senpai again. Also mad props to whoever’s voicing him. I wish these things had credits ’cause if I didn’t know better I’d think it was Adam Driver himself!
– POE’S X-WINGGGGG GUYS. IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WATCHED THIS SHORT SO I FORGOT IT WAS IN THERE AND NOW I’M POSITIVELY GIDDY.

REY STRIKES BACK

Everyday life on Jakku looks to be nothing short of unforgiving and miserable. Episode VII already made that clear, but this short certainly drives the point home again. But Rey ain’t takin’ crud from no one today. Not from Plutt, not from Plutt’s cronies, and certainly not from any space cacti! I love her drive, determination, and outright sass in this short, as well as her impressive building skillz, as she takes on every blow this desolate world can deal her. There’s a reason she’s made it this long out here.

Assorted Fangirl Musings:
– “Nothing can flourish there, but a young scavenger named REY is certainly trying….” well-said, Mr. Kane!
– I gotta say, I think my favorite thing about this short is Kevin, Unkar Plutt’s precious pet space cactus and only friend. I just think about it and I die laughing. It’s good to know the guy has a soft spot for something besides money! Also, whenever I want to work on my Rey impression, “‘Kevin’? You gave your plant a name?”, is my go-to XD It’s all just so beautifully hilarious and perfectly Lego.
– Suddenly, Twilight remembers she has named plants before and realizes she’s the pot calling the kettle “black”.
– I love her speeder is like a bucking bronco with those thugs! Don’t mess with her fierce, noble steed!
– Guys! Throwing Lego bricks around is dangerous! Do you know how much those things hurt when their corners hit your skin?! Or when you step on one?! Or when you get your hair caught between them?! Things just got realllllll…
– Random thought: if it weren’t for the fact Luke’s going to be training her, I bet Rowan Freemaker would take her on as his apprentice. Girl can masterbuild!
– HOLY MOS EISLEY, THAT’S THE GHOST OUT THERE. WITH MODIFICATIONS. I THINK. I COULD BE WRONG. BUT THIS IS CANON TO ME NOW. Someone from the original crew better be flying it though. I doubt General Syndulla would let some schnook steal it. Goodness this just got me thinkin’ on the Rebs’ futures something fierce. *Gets lost in thought for ten minutes pondering what fate may befall the Rebels in their last season* It could just be another ship of the same variety, but… you have to wonder.

HUNTING FOR HAN

Maz’s Castle looks like a fun place, even with its sometimes-frightening and untrustworthy clientele. Perhaps because its owner is so wise and welcoming and noble. But as we see in this short, for all the crazy crowds it attracts, there are always a few genuine souls who come through the Castle’s doors…

Assorted Fangirl Musings:
– You guys ever wonder where Maz finds this stuff? Avid eBayer I guess. And I’m sure having a professional career as a pirate helps you know where to find certain things…
– Knowing how this ends, why would anyone slap a “poisonous” sticker on a suitcase containing musical instruments? Well I guess Bala Tik’s got a reputation to keep. Bartering something so non-lethal would get a laugh out of the rest of the galaxy’s common criminals. That, or maybe certain species are actually negatively effected by the sounds of these space-saxophones, like maybe it makes their heads explode or something. Hmm…
– The “silver fox” comment cracked me up beyond belief. But it’s true… all of it!
– You have to wonder though if all of these incidents were really Han’s fault. I mean, sure he’s not doing the best with his life right now but it doesn’t mean he’s a complete scoundrel! Everyone’s just jealous ’cause they know they will never age that well XP
– “I heard Greedo shot first!” “THEM’S FIGHTIN’ WORDS!!” Oh boy, this again…? Guys. There are far more interesting debates in the world of Star Wars than that old argument.
– Wow can Maz use that lightsaber! She may have been saving it for someone special to find it someday, but it sure has its uses in the meantime!
– And aw yay Lando!! I love so much that, though he and Han seem to have gone different ways over the course of their lives, Lando still always has his buddy’s back. It gives me many feels. Wonder what the old smoothie’s been up to though? Y’know what, I bet he manages that casino Finn and Rose are gonna go on a mission to in VIII. That would be truly awesome. Either way, watching him play the space-sax with Maz Kanata is so sweet and gives me hope that Lando Calrissian’s doin’ all right, wherever in the galaxy he is 🙂

THE TROUBLE WITH RATHTARS

Possibly my favorite short in the bunch, we get to see an average everyday for Han and Chewie and the dangers of their recent business ventures, as well as a softer side to one of my favorite SW monsters.

Assorted Fangirl Musings:
– But why did Chewie let the rathtars out to begin with?? Did he feel sorry for them? I could see Chewbacca having some compassion on the poor giant squishy balls of death.
– OK and seriously, despite they’re being pursued by TIEs and they’ve got loose rathtars on board, Han is still handling this clunky ship like a dream.
– “That’s Dooku, Kitster, Lobot”??? Wizard code, bro XD
– Also Han rolling the window down is just so ludicrously hilarious, like OMG that’s so good. I’m convinced this freighter might’ve been rebuilt with some earth-made spare parts. It’s got side-view mirrors, seatbelts (evidently), and brakes! I’m pretty sure none of those things are normal, but hey spare parts are spare parts.
– Chewie lullabying the rathtars to sleep is literally too precious! I’ve always loved the rathtars, as they made a big impression on me as the first SW monster I saw on the big screen, but this short made me love them even more, ’cause really they’re just giant squishy sweethearts :3
– Even if they can and will eat your face any other chance they get.

ATTACK OF THE CONSCIENCE

A surprisingly deep little finale, we get a sense as to where Finn came from and the friends he’d made, and why it wasn’t just that first attack on Jakku that changed his mind on his stormtrooping career.

Assorted Fangirl Musings:
– WHOA THEY STILL HAVE AT-ATS! Do you think they finally figured out how to make ’em Jedi-proof?
– I like this concept of ‘trooper training looking like middle school soccer practice XD
– Wait. So they only fight fake Rebels, but with real detonators?? *Shoots a disapproving look at Phasma*
– I think the voice of Finn is also the voice of Zander Freemaker, and he’s doing awesome at it.
– “That’s Kylo Ren! He’s awesome!” “I know! He threatened to have me destroyed once!” “…WHAT?” Um yeah, this really ain’t soccer practice, FN-2187.
– I like that every time Finn starts questioning the plan, he lifts his helmet up, which we know is a major stormtrooper no-no. I’m sure the First Order taught the ‘troopers that they’re the good guys and everything they’re doing is for peace ultimately, but I’m glad that somehow, Finn has a broader moral compass that’s allowing him to see attacking a village as questionable. Guess he was out sick that one day they had the seminar on jerkiness.
– And boy… when you think about what’s about to happen from here… OH YOU POOR CHILD. YOU POOR, POOR CHILD. *Cries for Finn and his friend, too*
– But despite all the pain about to go down, Captain Phasma’s not wrong when she remarks “…your destiny awaits.”

So yeah aren’t those just great? I do so love me some Lego Star Wars! And since I haven’t discussed The Force Awakens as much I’dve like to, I’m glad I could immerse myself in this era again and hopefully start some interesting conversations as we get excited for the next chapter in this beautiful saga in only six more months!

So with the second season just around the corner, I’d say it’s high time I got this post written. Today we shall do some digging into the marvelous first season finale of The Freemaker Adventures, Return Of The Kyber Saber! Let’s see if I can some good nerdy thoughts together for you today…NOTE: Contains spoilers from Rebels episode Empire Day, and basically the entire first season of The Freemaker Adventures

OK so one thing I’ve absolutely adored about TFA is the way they’ve so flawlessly weaved in elements and concepts that started in Rebels, one of those being the joyous celebration known as Empire Day! Y’know a really interesting thought just hit me about Empire Day… different planets probably have different calendars, so depending where you are, it might fall in the summer, or the winter, or whatever other seasons the world might have. It’s not a huge revelation I guess, but it’s just neat to think about. But clearly, as the capital of the galaxy, Coruscant is the place to be on E-Day! And if you happen to be the Emperor, it’s even better. I love how he tears open his presents like a little kid! Granted, he’s a rather ungrateful little kid but it’s still kind of charming in a weird way. Man I can’t imagine being in those Imperials’ shoes… what do you get the Emperor who literally has everything? I can see how easy it’d be to just default to “Galaxy’s Best Emperor” mugs to be safe. From what I gathered from Tarkin he seems to like fine decor, so maybe an artistic Nubian knickknack might suit him. Or maybe it’s just safer to go with a gift card. But then again, judging by how many Imps lined up with boxed gifts, he must prefer actual tangible gifts over credits. Plus, a handpicked gift is just sometimes more thoughtful, y’know? I’d say that those who’ve been in the Empire the longest probably have figured out how to shop for him, but Vader defaulted to the mug option too. With him, “it’s the thought that counts” doesn’t count. But in truth, the best Empire Day gifts don’t come from a store… they come from treachery, deception, and devious intent. Agent Naare is about to bring him a deadly superweapon on a silver platter — the long-lost Kyber Saber. Wouldn’t that be the brightest candle on the cake! XD Isn’t that’s an image? But in all seriousness you guys we’re all toast if the plan Rowan proposed last episode doesn’t pull through.
Another interesting revelation I’ve had recently is that Rowan has more than just one Force talent. I’ve always considered his connection to Kyber crystals one, but I think his ability to build is also unique gift from the Force. We watch him masterfully put the StarScavenger back together piece by piece. It might seem simple enough to those us who just see the ship as Lego parts, but it’s important to remember that their world is only portrayed as plastic. These characters and the galaxy they live in are as real to me as any other medium we’ve seen Star Wars in. The unfocused, accident-prone boy we met in the first episode has now perfectly reconstructed an entire ship in the course of a day or so. That’s the kind of amazing stuff the Force can do. Like seriously. Your mind’s gotta be blown by now, right?
“…is this who you really are? An evil Sith? Or are you just a misunderstood soul who’s never learned to love herself?” “Mmm… nope.” Yet we know that’s not true because no Star Wars villain is! With maybe the exception of Sidious but I don’t know all his story yet. Dangit, Naare has been such an awesome, fascinating character! Someone better put her in the canon right now and write books and comics on her right now! And maybe do an Anthology movie if they get the chance. She might be a villain but she’s among the most intriguing villains in the history of SW just because there’s so much we don’t know about her. I have my theories, of course, but I’m curious what the writers really have in mind. I don’t know if we’ll ever know her whole story but just wishful thinkin’. For now though, all we know is her darksider side, and that the Kyber Saber in her hands is a really really bad thing. Especially when she seems to like it a little too much. Y’know I find it interesting, knowing the way Sith and Sith-y sorts tend to be over power, that Naare never considered keeping it for herself before this. Partially I’m sure it was some loyalty to the Empire she serves, but I’m thinking that fear had a lot to do with it. Sidious and Vader pressured her beyond belief, and I wouldn’t doubt they probably used fear as a motivator more than once. So she had no time to consider what benefits she might reap from this, considering I imagine a fierce desire for power has fueled her darkness for a long time. But now that she holds the Saber… yeahh… Naare left Coruscant an Imperial agent, and she’s coming back Empress of the galaxy! Sidious really shoulda seen this coming.
Considering Empire Day is also Ezra Bridger’s birthday, it’s kind of adorable the Freemakers unknowingly take a cue from him in the first stage of their plan. To the sewers! Always a good idea! XD Least until a probe droid shows up. And a really big one I might add. Taller than Zander! Yikes. But with a solid wrench in hand, bro can handle it. Though it may take him a few showers to get rid of that particularly incredible smell…
Meanwhile Naare singlehandedly takes out two Imperial freighters and a handful of TIEs. Not to mention two whole Star Destroyers. Here’s another nerdy thought to chew on: the kyber crystals Jedi use in their lightsabers are tiny. They’re smaller than your thumbnail. The Kyber Saber is made entirely of these crystals. It’s about the length of a normal lightsaber, which I guess would be a few feet so… think about how many individual crystals that would be. Is that not an insane amount of power?! I mean, it might seem obvious since she’s already torn apart a whole moon but when you think about the science behind it… dang. Just… dang. Master Cantu clearly had no idea what kybers were truly capable of when he built that thing. It does make you wonder how he put it together from a canon perspective. Far as I can gather, you can’t just mine kybers like you mine spice; Jedi have to go through some challenging stuff to find just one! I’m thinking maybe Jedi didn’t have the same kind of connection to the crystals at that point in history. Perhaps all Cantu knew was that the crystal and the Force had a connection somehow, and that he could find a way to channel his own Force through that. So making a blade of the crystals was a logical method. Post his realization that such a large amount was deadly, he probably spent a lot of time figuring out what worked and what didn’t work with them, and perhaps, eventually, made a blade that channeled a beam of energy from the crystals instead. I don’t know how much they figured out with the Story Group’s help in making it half-way-sorta-canon, but it’s a reasonable assumption. Anyway, on to other areas of nerdiness.
So far the Freemaker kids are owning it today! Rowan gave me all kinds of warm fuzzies using the Force to save Zander from a perilous fall, and Kordi just don’t got time for bucketheads today and puts them in chains without wasting a second. But the final phase of the plan might be more challenging than all they’ve faced in the sewers combined. Rowan, in dark cloak with the Emperor’s officially-licensed voice changer in hand, has to play a convincing Palpatine to get the Kyber Saber in his hands. And at this point we all know that unless something changes… yep we are alllllll toast. The writing’s still solid tho! Never saw this turn coming! Though you’d think Rowan and family might’ve suspected something when Palpatine made a run for it. (Hey, better a living chicken than a dead Tarkin!) R0-GR’s head finally made it back to the Freemakers, but unfortunately a little too late. Oh, and random note: Rowan muttering “bored bored bored…” while spinning in the Emperor’s throne is 110% relatable XD Anyway, boy do things get real when Naare shows up. #Understatement SHE IS TERRIFYING YOU GUYS. SIDIOUS YOU SHOULD’VE GONE AND GOTTEN THE STUPID BLADE YOURSELF BECAUSE NOW LOOK WHAT HORROR YOU’VE UNLEASHED!! She is happy to kill her former apprentice if she can’t kill her former master, and also she basically uses one hand and the Force and downs two AT-ATs. I’ll theorize right now that possessing the Kyber Saber also enhances one’s use of the Force as well as channeling it through the blade, so Naare can do stuff that I’m not sure even the most powerful Forcewielder could alone. With the Saber in hand, she’s crowned herself Empress and no one’s gonna deny her and live. I shudder to think what might’ve happened if she’d actually stayed Empress. Of course, it wouldn’tve been much better if Palpatine had obtained the blade so either way this is a nightmare scenario come true. Everything has fallen apart, but Rowan isn’t done, not for a second. (“You have more lives than a lothcat!” got a big grin out of me) He picks himself out of the rubble and calls the kyber crystals back, putting the ultimate power in his grip instead. It’s pretty awe-inspiring. Rowan uses the blade to build walls, every time he turns around though, Naare cuts them down with her own ‘saber. For a moment, Rowan questions why he doesn’t just use the Kyber Saber as the weapon Naare wants it to be used as. He sounds so angry, so destroyed inside, recalling all the pain this monster in front of him has put his family through. He actually starts to drown her in the scrap around them, which I startlingly realized reminded me of how Naare nearly killed JEK-14. This image is both frightening and beautiful somehow. I’ve always loved the dichotomy of light and dark in the Star Wars mythos, and they’ve done an incredible job portraying these ideas and concepts in the series as we’ve witnessed many different shades of the Force between this innocent young boy who wished to be a Jedi and this malicious half-human woman who desires to be a Sith. Seeing Rowan wrestle briefly with the dark side is a really pivotal image and both fascinates me and wrecks me simultaneously. But as the Emperor looks on approvingly… Rowan realizes that this isn’t him. He is not a Sith, he is a Freemaker. And so, he ends the fight by jumping back aboard the StarScavenger, taking the ancient blade with him. I cheered you guys, it’s impossible not to. When TIEs give chase, the fam brings out their wild card (which I just realized would be an awesome ship name), the brand new Blazemaker. With a fake Saber in one hand and the Blazemaker’s controls in the other, Zander gives the Imps the slip real good. And may I just say the completed Blaze is one not-so-ugly “ugly”! It’s easy to understand now why he’s been passionate for this spacecraft of his, it’s gorgeous and it gets the job done! I think he oughta name it the Wild Card, don’t you? Unless of course the Blazemaker is its actual name and not the model. I get so confused sometimes. With the Imperials no longer in pursuit, Rowan masterfully uses the Force and the power of the Kyber Saber to beautifully reconstruct the Starscavenger into a totally different ship that the Empire will no longer recognize. It’s just astonishing what this amazing kid can do. Seriously. I’m just floored right now. And this is the fourth time I’ve watched this episode to date. Kordi’s proud sisterly smile matches my own :3
So I’m thinking the Emperor might appreciate his mugs right now, ’cause after a day like today, he’s gonna need a lot of kaffe. As for Naare, well, her comeuppance was genius. I didn’t really want her to die, but I knew she was a little too far past being redeemed, so making her a decorative piece for Graballa’s place was the perfect option. I did wonder a bit how it was they got her into carbonfreeze in the first place, since even cuffed she could do a lot of damage. I’m gonna theorize one of the Hutt’s men drugged her so she wouldn’t have the focus to use the Force. But yes, well played, Graballa. Now Naare’s got nothing but time to think. Unless you can’t really think much when you’re in carbonfreeze. I’m not really sure what the canon says on the matter but either way, the end of her chapter (for now) was quite appropriate.
Rowan ultimately decides that the day of the Kyber Saber’s return should also be its end, and sends the majestic weapon into the lava rivers of Sullust. (How cool is it we get to see Sullust tho?! I was hyped and I haven’t even played Battlefront yet!) Also important, Roger got put back together again. I spent a lot of time wondering where they found the extra parts or if they had extra parts to start with, but then I remembered “oh yeah the fam probably remembered to take that with them before they left The Wheel”. I couldn’t shake the thought it’dve been hilarious if they couldn’t find him battle droid parts so they put his head on a protocol’s body instead, buuuuut I think Roger’s happier this way 🙂 Anyway, the Freemakers aren’t sure where they go from here now that they’ve gone from scavengers to wanted criminals, but they get their answer from the timely arrival of a Rebel Alliance fleet. The Rebs have heard about what Rowan did, and they want him and his family to join them. Dude I got so distracted while I was writing this just looking at all the ships in the fleet. I kept searching for familiar ships, hoping I might spot the Ghost or the Gauntlet or something. At one point I mistook an A-wing for a TIE Defender and I was all “Wow how’d they get ahold of one of those things?!” XD But man oh man this ending… I’ve got a good feeling about this. The best feeling in the world, actually, as we watch Rowan, Kordi, Zander, and Roger enter a new chapter with the Rebel Alliance 😀
SO MANY FEELS OMG. I’m so glad this post turned out well, despite it was a long time coming. I can’t wait to see what awaits this beautiful family next! And for sure this time I’ll make sure these future posts come out with as few interruptions as possible. Anyway, thanks so much for reading 🙂

It’s not easy waiting when SWR goes on hiatus, but writing about it helps a lot! So today I’ll see if I can bring you some interesting analyzings and observations (and maybe even a few laughs) as we take a closer look at the wonderful episode Warhead.NOTE: Contains spoilers from Rebels episodes The Forgotten Droid, An Inside Man, and Warhead

I knew early-on that Warhead would be partially centered around likely dangerous droid, but soon as I saw him step out of the pod, I was all “Aww it’s a McQuarrie-esque protocol!! There’s no way a droid this adorbs could be deadly!” Yes I was aware the pods came from an Imperial ship, and I suppose it did come to mind that his pleasant exterior could be a ruse, but at this moment, I just fangirled over his design. Looking back though, I can’t help but root for the krynka…
Today the mini-Alliance is going on a road trip — well, actually it’s a training mission. Same difference. Wedge and Hobbie ramming into each other is hilarious, but the real icing on the cake is Zeb and Ezra exchanging a fistbump right afterward. I’m thinking this display of klutziness is normal and Zeb and Ez get a kick out of it. Either that or, as my brother suggested, there might’ve been some pranking involved. Bros tied the newbies’ shoelaces together XD Oh wait this is SW no one wears shoelaces. Whatever the case, it’s a priceless little moment that remains a favorite. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun ends for Zeb. Chief of Security’s gotta stay behind at the base with Chop and AP-5. You can tell from the get-go this’ll be fun because, despite Zeb’s grumblings, there’s no human way an episode starring these three could possibly be boring 😀 I could see why he’d think that, perhaps. He’s a Captain through-and-through, and I imagine he doesn’t like not having a real job to do when everyone else does. And even if he wouldn’tve had anything to help out with on the mission, I think he’d simply appreciate having the company of his crew-fam. But instead today he’s got the company of the cranky C1 and the opinionated protocol. Right off the bat, AP-5 questions if Zeb’s qualified to be put in charge of anything to begin with. “Counting crates, not my idea of fun,” “Is that because you never learned to count?” Pffff so much droid snark it’s a beautiful thing! XD I’ve missed seeing AP-5 more often. He’s such a great character and lately we’ve only seen him in small increments, so getting to see him in a larger role again is just delightful. But seriously AP, Zeb is not a stereotypical all-muscles-no-brains “big guy”, he’s an intelligent military leader who’s got ’em both! You’ve literally known him almost a year you should know this. But then again, he doesn’t seem like the kind of droid who’s easily convinced about anything 😛 AP goes off to do some inventory, Zeb goes off to check on a potential problem ’round their perimeter, and Chopper joins him because sure as heck he ain’t helpin’ AP with the inventory XD
Our Chief of Security finds something interesting at the outskirts, though, a downed protocol who clearly got caught in the spidercrabs’ crossfire. I do wonder what exactly downed the krynka though. Either they killed each other fighting over the droid or else, well, I betcha the droid knew how to handle himself… yikes. Or maybe I’ve missed something entirely. Also of major note I LOVE THE COLOR OF THAT LANDSPEEDER ERMAGOSH. Chopper I’m thinking wanted to scrap this stray (and I bet for his own benefit. So many spare parts! XP ), but Zeb votes they take him in and fix him up. Once fully-functioning again, the newbie reveals himself to be super-useful and also quite respectful. He immediately racks up numbers on a good chunk of the inventory and gives Captain Orrelios a proper salute. It’s no wonder that AP and Zeb quickly take a liking to him. Chop’s not a fan though; nobody calls him “obsolete” and gets away with it! And all of this starts to remind of something I learned in an episode of Droids: if your astromech doesn’t trust a new droid, then you shouldn’t either. Then soon as Zeb turns around Fulcrum shoots him a warning about an Imperial recon droid who could kill them all and give away their location while he’s at it. And funny he sort of looks like the newbie– OH NO. Soon as AP makes mention this is a Rebel base, his new friend remembers his directive and reveals himself to be EDX-9, your worst nightmare. With multiple glowing red eyes, towering height, blender-hands, and an inhuman voice that makes your skin crawl, “worst nightmare” is rather an understatement. Especially since he happens to be agile, fiercely strong, and knows how to bring the fight like no other droid. OK maybe K-2SO could give him a run for his money, but otherwise… yeesh they’re in trouble. Zeb manages to damage him a little with a blast to the hand, but the monstrous machine quickly slips into the shadows to seek out new parts. Yeah is that not creepy that the EDX attacks other droids to fix himself? Gosh I’m starting to feel I’d be better off referring to EDX-9 as an “it” not a “he” because it’s too terrifying to stick a personality on. Zeb, AP, and Chopper try to formulate a plan, but right now the best bet they’ve got is for Zeb to jump the EDX and AP to shut it down. All Chop’s gotta do is be the bait. Not a fun job but someone’s gotta do it…
Meanwhile, on the training mission… “How’d you think Zeb’s doing back on base?” “Probably relaxing and playing dejarik or eating some space waffles or something.”
In reality: wrestling with a killer recon droid and very nearly losing. EDX dished out some blows on Zeb so sharp I could feel them. Like OMG that’s gotta smart. I don’t think I could breathe again until AP-5 finally shut him down. But surprise! The droid’s a ticking time bomb ready to take the whole base down now! OmO Chopper’s able to freeze its countdown circuits, but it won’t work indefinitely. And that’s only half the problem — the Empire’ll come looking if it doesn’t report back, but they certainly can’t let it return to the Empire with all the intel it’s gained, and there’s absolutely no way to keep it from ultimately blowing up. “THINK, ZEB, THINK!” “This should take a while…” XP But then awesome idea: they’ll let EDX return home… but ready to detonate! All it takes is for AP to do some rewiring and off EDX-9 goes! Back to its ship, back to its Star Destroyer, and that warhead makes for a beautiful explosion! Kallus can’t help but give a slight smile at the sight. Also those dork Imp technicians were great. I kinda want to know their story now. I imagine the first one’s a bit green and the second’s seen a lot more, perhaps why his famous last words were merely “Ohhhhh myyy…” XD Yes things went pretty well in the end. Zeb and AP-5 actually (sorta) respect each other now. The rest of the Ghost fam don’t quite know what to make of Fulcrum’s congrats, and I’m thinkin’ will welcome a full explanation. Well, at least mostly full, anyway… Zeb would rather AP leave out the part where he brought a dangerous droid on base… 😛
Um bad news though… knowing that the Rebels reprogrammed the droid has narrowed down Thrawn’s options. 94 planets stand between the mini-Alliance and the Empire now. That’s not a lot, but let’s sure hope it’s enough…
And then I was all “NOOOO IT CAN’T BE TIME TO ROLL THE CREDITS!! I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!” but this is a normal reaction to episodes that end on notes like this. Had a great deal of fun talking about Warhead today, and I’ll see you next week for Trials Of The Darksaber! Because danggg that’s gonna be a lot of good stuff to talk about.

Over the course of this past season of Star Wars Rebels, I’ve faithfully written out my fangirly junk commentaries every episode. But even with all that, I find it’s nice to do a little recap and just spew out all my fangirly thoughts at once with no particular organization. So I’m just gonna sit here and blab about everything, from the episodes, to the events, to the characters, and all the incredible stuff that’s happened this season. And then I’ll stop talking about Rebels for a little while and shift gears to another area of the fandom. Fair deal? OK let’s go then!NOTE: Contains spoilers from the entire second season of Rebels, and a bunch of stuff from the first season too. So really don’t read this without having followed it as consistently as I have. Also seeing all the movies would help.

So wow. So much wow. I’ve said that a lot this season, but it’s entirely true to how it’s made me feel. This show gets amazinger and amazinger every minute, and it was already amazingest to start out! (Lol ignore my fangirly grammar logic) I’m literally not sure where to begin… so let’s start out talking about our wonderful family of friends, the Ghost crew, starting with our boy Ezra.
Ezra’s growth over the second season is truly amazing, mainly because an absolute ton of his personal growth happened in the first episode. When everyone else thinks they’re wasting their time helping high-and-mighty Maketh Tua, Ezra don’t bat an eyelash “We help people, it’s what we do!”. When faced with the gutwrenching ruins of Tarkintown, he still sees hope in the midst of it. Ez is absolutely a new man in Siege Of Lothal and that hopeful skip in his step makes all the difference. Yet the things we’ve always loved about him, like his sharp wit, street savviness, and natural confidence, have remained the same. And though he faced many many challenges and difficulties over the season, how he’s handled them and how he’s approached them have been incredibly mature. He even gave Hera some stellar drop-the-mic advice in Homecoming! Not that he hasn’t faced hurdles and decisions that weren’t really really hard. I mean, he finally found out what became of his parents, and that was by no means an easy truth to swallow. Something that still clearly hurts, as he came close to shedding some angry tears when telling Maul of their fate. But he continues to live out the Bridgers’ legacy with a fierce determination. And alongside his new family, that core value of hope and helping others his parents ingrained in him has been fanned from a spark to a flame. Of course, I’d be dense not to discuss his growth in the Force. Between Kanan’s teachings, Rex’s military-based tips and tricks, and some supplemental holocron footage of Anakin Skywalker, he’s absolutely been killin’ it out there! He’s taken on some pretty powerful and dangerous adversaries, from the inquisitors to Darth Vader himself, and still managed to come out alive. One of my favorite examples of this will always be when he used the Force to turn on his ‘saber while a stormtrooper had it holstered in Stealth Strike. What an awesome idea! Ezra’s Jedi abilities are amazing to watch because he has so many influences in his training. Not to mention his unique ability to connect! He’s not your average Jedi, and we wouldn’t have it any other way 😀 I’ve always called Ezra the “Force-sensitive everyman”, because he gives us an idea as to what it’d be like learning the Light Side without the formality of a proper temple upbringing. We can relate to him as he attempts to understand all the mysteries of the Force and the how-tos of being a Jedi. Now, though he started this season with a newfound optimism… the season ends with uncertainty on his part. He’s played with the Dark Side, questioned who was the better master, and now, hurt by the tragedy that happened on Malachor… well, as I said on that episode’s post, he’s got a lot to think about and a lot of decisions to make. It’ll be interesting to see what he’ll be doing by the time season 3 starts, and what knowledge he might gain from that Sith holcron…
Oh and then there’s Kanan. The only one of the crew who wasn’t all-in on the idea of a larger rebellion. It took him the entire season to finally admit that maaaaybe it wasn’t so bad. Thankfully, for some things, it didn’t take him nearly as long to figure out. His training Ezra really exploded this season; the things they accomplish when they use the Force, together or interchangeably, are truly incredible. Again, that mixture of real-world skill and Jedi prowess make for some really awesome stuff. Homecoming has one of my favorite examples of this as they make their dash to the bridge. Just… AHHH WOW!! That and the beginning of Shroud Of Darkness, too. OK pretty much all the time. They’ve become an in-sync, formidable duo, and we owe Kanan a lot of that. He’s become more confident in his role as master and Rebel, though like say, it took some time to get there. It’s hard to forget his “clone issues”, right? His difficulty with trusting them was understandable, considering all he’s been through over the years, but once he put aside that fear and frustration and learned to trust, it made for a world of difference both for him and for his relationship with Rex, too. I remember before the season started thinking that, with Ahsoka around, maybe there’d be a bit of a too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen situation going on, but ultimately that role would fall to the good Captain instead XD Stealth Strike is an incredible episode for many reasons, and the moment where Kanan says “I’m going to rescue my friend” is one of those reasons. That’s not the only character growth we see out of him, of course… let’s spend the rest of the day talking about what conspired in the Lothal Jedi Temple! For all he and Ezra had accomplished together, he still had doubts and fears concerning his apprentice’s future. But when he finally learned to be let go of what he feared to lose… HE DONE GOT KNIGHTED. Ahhh I got chills! Definitely one of his most defining moments. ‘Cause you know I hadn’t considered this until now, but yeah this was an example of how to handle attachment. I mean, you wanna freak someone out? Tell them their padawan will become an agent of evil! Kanan fights the guard with both his blue blade and a red blade, likely signifying the dark and the light in him as he wrestles with this fear. And when he finally drops both lightsabers and realizes all he can do is start Ezra down the right path… a very glorious thing happens. Also yeah WHOA THE GRAND INQUISITOR WAS A JEDI OAO Explains how he knew so much about Depa Bilaba’s fighting style. I guess. Maybe they were friends back in the day? Weird thought. But more on the inquisitors later, this is Kanan’s paragraph! This whole situation of Ezra’s uncertain future definitely comes back in to light on the finale, as he watches his padawan and an ex-darth being all chummy all of a sudden. Again, Ahsoka’s reminder “because you taught him” was all kinds of perfect timing. And wow when he faced Maul there… he couldn’t see, but yet… HE. COULD. SEE. I absolutely can’t wait to see how he furthers and fine-tunes his skills in this way, as well as how he might use that in training Ezra. I foresee him becoming the Daredevil of Jedi — whupping the Empire with the combination of his other four senses and the Force!
And wow we’ve really gotten to really know Hera over this season too. THE BOSS LADY HAS BECOME MORE BOSS! We’ve finally gotten to meet the rest of the Rebellion she had hiding behind the curtain for all of season one, and seen how she takes charge long before she became an official squad leader. Especially when putting up with Kanan’s “bleh larger rebellion” crud XD She’s still remained the heart/soul/team mom she’s always been, but we’ve also gotten to see more than just that side of her. We’ve seen her heart and passion for flight, and for helping others while doing it, we’ve seen a deep selflessness shine through as she allowed herself in the path of danger to save the rest of her squadron (not that we didn’t already know that she was capable of it, but we hadn’t actually seen her come out nearly killed because of it), we’ve seen her less-than-sweet side as she deals with her difficult dad’s ideas of rebelling, and we’ve seen her have a little trouble letting go herself as she watches her boys walk away to a place she can’t go. These ups and downs have only made us love her more as we see the human/sentient being side of her. With her leadership and her crew-family by her side, I have no doubt as to how far-reaching her influence will be for the Rebel Alliance, and the galaxy itself.
SWR is really good at not revealing too much but revealing just enough when it comes to backstories. This is definitely the case with Sabine. We find she’d had a stint as a bounty hunter and that she’s a rock-solid Viszla clan Mando through-and-through. Things have been rough for her, what with being betrayed by a close friend all that time ago and more recently nearly losing Hera. But she’s still come through and come back stronger. And ultimately, she’s gone right up against the Mando code in the choices she’s made. She forgives Ketsu without expecting anything in return. She chooses not to get revenge on Fenn Rau. Her line from The Protector Of Concord Dawn “I guess I was raised right”, pretty much encapsulates the entirety of her character growth in season 2. Sabine remains the cool, confident Mando we’ve known her to be, but her strong morals and the choices she makes ultimately make her even cooler 🙂
Like with Sabine, we don’t get all the backstory with Zeb. They give us keys to open future doors to learn more instead of giving us everything at once. This season’s had a lot of tides turn for Zeb. He’s overcome his own self-doubts as he pulled off a fantastic rescue in Always Two There Are, battled past regrets and hurt and found hope in Legend Of The Lasat, spent a day with his enemy and found out there was more than met the eye in The Honorable Ones… honestly he’s been through a lot and it’s amazing. We see a wounded, vulnerable side of him, as well as one that bleeds respect and honor, and yet he hasn’t lost that stormtrooper-bashing edge and flawless ability to punctuate a sentence with a smart comment. So much of what we thought we knew about him and the story surrounding him has been rewritten. Seeing him come through this season the way he has has made me love him even more. He is no longer alone, he lost who he thought to be a mortal nemesis, he protects his crew-family, he protects the innocent, he is both child, fool, and warrior… he is a true captain. Also on a weird note I had a dream a month or so ago that I was a Jedi-Rebel and I was going to join Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka on Malachor, so I gave Zeb a friendly goodbye hug… to which he pushed me away and was all “Um sorry not a hugger” XD XD
Then there’s Chopper, who naturally didn’t really change a bit XP He powered through that season mercilessly running into people, zapping his crewmembers, outright hitting them, and dropping droidspeak-snark every ten seconds, like he do. And we wouldn’t want him any other way. But he did make one exception to the rule, he did grow just the teeniest teeniest bit… he made a friend. Who’da thunk an old persnickety protocol and an attitude-laden astromech could become friends? Though they spend most of their time squabbling, you can’t watch Chopper stand by AP-5 in what appear to be his final moments and not feel the friendship feels in the room. So proud of that C1-10P 🙂 And it’s great learning his backstory too… combination grumpy cat and war hero! Funny I think he’s the only crewmember to get their entire backstory told. Wow. Though I do want to know how long it took for Hera to fix him up and when exactly she did, since he seems absent in A New Dawn… oh well. Another mystery for another day!
Obviously I needed to talk about Ahsoka. Her presence in this season has been an absolute dream come true and then some. She was not only a member of the growing Rebel Alliance, but was a true friend and hero! The way she fit in so perfectly with the Ghost crew, always helping them out when they needed her most, the way she easily could strike up a conversation with Ezra and Kanan, her incredible Jedi prowess when she fought the inquisitors, her ever-present hope and optimism, her courage when she laid it all down for her friends. It’s truly truly beyond amazing. I don’t know if we’ll ever see her in this time and place again, but her impact will always be there, and she will always be one of the biggest highlights of season two 🙂
And of course AHH REX!! We got to see a lot of amazing characters return this season… Hondo, Leia, Vader, Cham, Yoda, Maul, but reuniting with Rex and a couple of his fellow brothers was the first one I knew about, and the one that made me absolutely cry/squee with delight that day during Celebration last year. Still as sharp and fearless and a strong leader as ever. But what made it even a further joy to have him in the mini-Alliance was watching him teach Ezra in a grandfatherly way, seeing him and Kanan become an unlikely set of friends, witnessing his sweet reunion with Ahsoka all the way to their final goodbye… Rex has always been and continues to be a great, loyal soldier, but without a constant war to be fought, we have more time to see his heart and soul and it’s been too amazing. And I’m excited to see how his journey continues from here. Rex is living proof that no matter how dark the situation, good will ultimately triumph in the end. Rex was intended as just one small component of Sidious’s horrible plan, but he is so so very much more than that… he’s a true hero :3
Shifting gears, let’s talk a little about them ‘quisitors, Fifth and Sev. Yesss for this season the trouble done got doubled! And though they didn’t hold the high position their nefariously classy boss held, they were by no means any less of a threat to our heroes. They pretty much scared the midichlorians outta me on the regular with their strength, power, and unshakable confidence. I mean, if you need an example, look no further than the time they tore up a public shuttle and everyone on it to kidnap a Force-sensitive child. That’s ’bout bad as it gets man. But regardless of their actions, they still can’t help but be cool. With Fifth Bro so deadly serious and Seventh Sis so devious and crafty and flirty, they make a pretty aweaome team despite their differences. Le sigh they will be missed. They made for some delightfully dangerous foes, constantly keeping us guessing, and both freaking us out and majorly impressing us at the same time 😀
Also wow Kallus made some great strides, didn’t he? And I mean REALLY great strides. Like, planet-wide strides. At the start of the seaaon, it seemed working alongside Vader went to his head, and his jerkyness went up one-thousandthfold. Everywhere we turned, he waa dishing out some surefire sarc and finding the best new ways to make things difficult for our heroes. Agent K was at the top of his bad guy game, it seemed. Right up until one episode came along and blew our tiny minds, anyway. Give it about 22 minutes and my entire view of him was decimated and I found myself crying for him. He was hurt and talked a lot of talk. He went into things without asking why. He’s not really all that bad. WOW. I’m definitely excited to see what happens next in Kallus’s story. After all, if there are heroes both sides and evil is everywhere, I’d sure like to see a real hero on the Empire’s side 🙂
And then we owe Darth Vader a paragraph. *Is Force-choked for not doing it sooner* It probably won’t be too long a paragraph since he really doesn’t exhibit any character growth. But his role this season has been utterly terrifyingly fantastic. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again: seeing Vader in his merciless, nightmarish prime has made me greater appreciate him as a villian. I love his redemption story so much I often look past the horrible things he’s done. I was squarely reminded of how far he’d fallen through basically every minute he was onscreen the entire season, especially in Siege and Twilight. Whether nearly in killing Ezra twice, burning Tarkintown, or giving his former padawan no mercy, he gave me all the chills all the time. But through it all, it’s a good reminder as to why his ultimate redemption is so powerful. The entire Ahsoka-Vader-Anakin story weaved throughout is a solid reminder as well. And still I be wondering… if Ahsoka is truly alive… how is he still alive? We may never truly know, but either way, his role this season has added much to the emotional side of the story as well as being a genuine threat to our heroes.
Gosh, there are honestly a ton of things worth talking about in Rebels season two, but due to my lack of time and likely your lack of attention span, I think I’ll be wrapping this up. We’ve seen so much this season, seeing the mini-aliance come to be and expanding across the galaxy, and seeing this beautiful cast of characters grow and thrive. Every episode went above and beyond what I ever could’ve imagined, and continue to inspire me and encourage me and make me laugh and cry with every viewing, and really just about every day. I can only predict more excitement and more feels and more joy from here.
And since I’ve been terrible and haven’t recapped as thoroughly as I should’ve, I’ve compiled links to all the original Rebel Transmissions from the past season, so you can dig even deeper if you haven’t already. And don’t worry… anything I haven’t covered here will eventually come up, I promise ya 😀

Today’s Transmission is gives us a little break from all the major Malachor-related feels and drama going on to give us some Chopper-centered awesome! Well… who am I kidding there’s no shortage of feels and drama in this still, but, you know, in a lighter-hearted sort of way. Hey fun fact; you know what the hardest part of writing this blog is? Starting it off. Forgive this rambling and let’s get to talking about the droidtacular spectacular that is The Forgotten Droid!NOTE: Contains spoilers from Rebels episodes Droids In Distress, Rebel Resolve, Blood Sisters, Homecoming, and The Forgotten Droid.

It looks like the mini-Alliance has found home at last; with help from Rex and Ketsu Onyo (yayyyy), they’ve found just the right spot to plant their long-searched-for base. Only thing is, the Rebs need fuel… again. The Ghost crew heads out to casually “borrow” some from the Imperials. Yup, just your general everyday Rebel to-do list. Kanan looks to Chopper to ascertain they make a fast exit. And normally I would say that he’s got nothing to worry about; lately Chopper’s been pretty good at getting things done and making quick getaways for our heroes. But today… the astromech has different interests in mind. Across the fueling station lies a little parts stand, and on top of a defunct GOM sits a leg. A leg that happens to be a perfect match to his old one! I will be honest though it wasn’t until this episode I realized Chop had a mismatched set of legs. To think he’s probably been self-conscious about the limb all this time and I never knew! Oh the way Chopper eyeballs that thing and twirls his… um, hands (or whatever the right word is), you just know it’s love. He wastes no time grabbing Ezra by the leg to excitedly show him his find, but he completely doesn’t get it. Chop turns to Hera to express his happiness, but she explains quite sternly they’re not doing any shopping today. And what can he do? She’s kinda his mom, the one who put him back together. What follows are no shortage of leg puns and “Shopper” jokes from Ezra and Zeb as the rest of the Rebs head off. Have you ever gone out to buy groceries or some other necessity and then suddenly, boom!, the perfect Star Wars shirt/action figure/other merchandise came into your sights? Whether you were a kid shopping with a parent or an adult on your own, there was nothing that could get between you and that beautiful SW thing. I know I’ve been there (it’s how I found most of my shirts). Well, that’s pretty much exactly how Chopper felt, and important dangerous mission or not, he wasn’t gonna let that impulse buy go anywhere! Looks like someone’ll be getting… in trouble again! Hehe I can’t ever pass up referencing to that theme song 🙂
It really is amazing how clearly you can read into Chop’s emotions without a face or a voice (well, at least not one we can understand). Chopper looks at is as though sparkling heavenly light touched down on just that old strut. He might as well’ve had a pair of big anime eyes as he joyfully “whoop-whoop”ed at the sight! The Ugnaught salesman don’t miss a beat though and also throws out a leg joke. *Sigh* this is also like those times when we’d eye that perfect SW something, and the person with us would just roll their eyes and move along, not understanding the sheer majesty of said find. We getcha Chop 100%. So while the Ghost crew attempts a no-complications mission, Chopper wheels every deal he can manage in bartering with the salesnaught (would that be correct? IDK but it sounds right somehow), but can’t quite convince the guy to hand it over. Since the salesnaught doesn’t come off as the most… reputable guy around, I think Chopper found stealing the leg justifiable in this situation. Man does it amaze you guys how quickly and swiftly he grabs it?? And he doesn’t have thumbs! Just those tiny little claw-hands! He’s goooooood. And then… oh look, the Ghost crew made their exit — without Chopper on board. Chop’s all “Ohhhh dang…”. And then the salesnaught took notice and gave chase. And then he got some Stormtroopers to join in. Nothing for Chop to do but give them the slip and hide in an Imperial freighter. It wasn’t until he got in, however, that he realized the freighter was about to take off. Well this just gets better and better! Also, as Chopper roams the freighter, he comes upon some ‘troopers discussing the rebel activity lately. One replies “Rebels again? That’s the third time this rotation!”. Huh… anyone wonder what the third scuffle was about? Ah it’s a wonderful thought as to what other Rebs might be up to! Anyway, that’s a clear sign for the C1-10P to lay low.
Elsewhere on board, a protocol droid was just trying to help his master with the navigating, and instead got the worst chewing out I’ve ever seen someone give a droid ever. Apparently some Imps just want their stinkin’ cargo accounted for and don’t care what advice anyone offers! At least, whatever advice this droid offers. Even the Stormtroopers ram right into him, as if he wasn’t even there. Poor dude… you can tell he’s down. And then something distracted him — an open hatch, and the feeling that someone was in that cargo hold who wasn’t supposed to be there. Chopper has fun with the protocol and just about gave him the slip, but the inventory droid is savvier than he looks. AP-5 keeps account of everything on board and knows good and well the astro’s a stowaway. One thing that makes AP super-cool is that he’s very dexterous for a droid; he uses lots of arm motion and hand gestures compared to say, C-3PO. So he grabs Chop’s new leg with ease as he realizes it’s stolen property. However, when Chopper spin-attacks and knocks the strut back into his clutches, AP still runs about as well as C-3PO does XD AP-5 finally corners him in a dead end, but Chopper is quick to whip out his prod, pretty much done with Imperial interference right now. AP backs off, but also is a bit curious… how’d a scrappy little droid like him get a military-grade prod? “I’m a war hero and stuff. Fought in the Clone Wars. NBD” seems to be the C1’s answer. Well, turns out so did AP! He was a military analyst for the Republic back in the day. And they even both fought on Ryloth! What a coinkydink! Despite they both seem they’d rather not have anything to do with each other right now, the droids seem to quickly find common ground in their past adventures. AP is impressed that Hera was so kind to help Chop after being left for scrap, especially considering his experience with organic beings hasn’t been quite as good. Poor guy was top-of-the-line in navigating, but got demoted to inventory when the Empire took over. Despite all this, AP convinces himself he’s doing the right thing still, doing whatever his masters wish of him, even when he’s treated like dirt. Chopper pushes his buttons a little, convincing this rather proper droid to give rebelling a try. “There’s this great new thing called ‘free will’! Y’heard of it, bro?”. (Ohmergoodness putting Chopper’s grunts into words is such fun XD ) But AP-5 is called to other things right now… even if those calling for him don’t even have the decency of calling him by name. His boss wants to know if he found any Rebels on board, and for a few nail-biting moments, it looks like AP’s going to say something… and then… HE DOESN’T. I did a Chopper-esque “Whoop-whoop!” to that. And Chopper himself zapped AP’s restraining bolt off. Looks like free will is something attainable after all for this long-suffering protocol! “Ah don’t make a big deal ’bout it, it was nothin'”. But getting off the freighter may be a problem with Jerk Imperial #3 (because that’s all the name he needs) in the way. Grumpy Imp was about to get another restraining bolt on AP, so Chopper pulled out his dirty-fightin’ droid-wrastlin’ ninja moves! Yes I know that sentence made no sense, but it works. He slaps and zaps the crud outta that guy, much to AP-5’s shock. “Now we’re both in trouble” (In trouble again… *is punched for making too many Droids references*). Time for Chopper’s Awesome Plan B! He’ll just lead the bucketheads on a chase around the freighter. Also of note WOW Chop is one fast astromech! When he gets goin’ he gets GOIN’. And when he rockets up and does that flip and slams that ‘trooper?? Just AWESUM. At least, up until that one storm knocked him flat on his dome and he could barely move. AP risked the crossfire and helped his comrade up just in time, which is also quite AWESUM. And like that they shut the door on the stormtroopers and set the cargo loose. Cue victory dance! CHOPPAH IS THA CAPTAIN NAO!! “NO first one to the bridge is NOT the captain!” *shuffles as fast as possible* XD XD
Meanwhile back on the Ghost, I’m guessing Ezra had a “WE LEFT KEVIN!” moment and now he’s wanting the ship turned around. Hera’s in no rush, they need to get that fuel back and she’s not letting that selfish droid of hers cause any more problems. Well new problem the Empire dropped by yet again. The Imps are quite happy the Rebel fleet can’t go anywhere, so their first target is the little Corellian ship with alllll the fuel. In the spirit of friendship going around Ketsu knocks down a few TIEs for our heroes. Aww yay! Sabine 100% approves! Boy it feels sorta weird we haven’t seen a lot of these guys today, doesn’t it? Ah well I’m happy for whatever I get 🙂
So it looks like Chopper’s the captain. At least until he “abandoned his post” when he rescued his prized strut from AP-5. Then AP became the captain. Hehe yes I’m thinkin’ the protocol’s getting the hang of this “free will” thing pretty well XD His sarcasm and savviness is great on its own, but when paired with that serious, snobbyish voice… it’s utterly fantastic. Chopper’s decided to bring AP with him back to the fleet; after all, any friend of his is a friend of theirs! AWW MAH GOSHHH CHOPPER ACTUALLY MADE A FRIEND!! ^w^
Thankfully, with Ketsu’s help, the Ghost fam’s able to get into the hangar (or more specifically, nearly crash-land) and start getting things fueled up. Hera’s not exactly thrilled to finally hear Chop’s wa-wa-ing over the line. She don’t have time for his long explanation as to where he was and why he’s copiloting half a freighter, they’ve got a new base to get to! AP-5 overhears and he knows for a fact that the system they’re planning on calling home is actually an Imperial trap. Chopper relays this new information while AP starts looking up a safer route. AND THEN JERK IMPERIAL #3 AWAKENS! And he’s pretty steamed, needless to say. But wow AP-5 delivers some kinda sick burn combating his master’s insults with “You’re the one who’s useless”! And then Chopper comes in swingin’ with leg in hand! And Jerk Imperial #3 suddenly looked a lot less confident. While the C1-10P dueled with the doof, AP-5 became his secretary. “Chopper is unable to answer at the moment, can I take a message?”. Boy Kanan and Hera were weirded out when AP said he was Chop’s friend. Yeesh is it so hard to think Chopper could be an amiable dude?? *Recalls what happened with Artoo and “Imp” the Imperial astromech, aka King of the Lothcats* OK I might see their point. Chopper’s only friends are organics, at least until now. AP nobly tells them that Chopper helped him, so now he was helping Chopper. And just as he was about to send Hera the new coordinates… oh it’s unspeakable. Chopper got knocked down during his fight, and Jerk Imp blasted him! Even through the pain, AP manages to get the new route through, just as the jerk hits him again. AHHH NUUUUU APPPPPPP!! 😥 I have never seen Chopper more furious than when he charged the Imperial. You just do. not. mess. with his friends. As the fleet heads off to their new base, Chopper stays by AP’s side in his friend’s final moments. Oh I just… can’t even man. To see these two very different droids come to share such a bond after only a short time… it’s precious and sweet and fun in every way. And to see it end so soon… *makes R2-D2 sad whimpery noises* 😦
But alas… the forgotten droid is not forgotten anymore. A short time later, Sabine gets him back and fully functional again, and he has Chopper to thank for donating the parts from that beloved strut of his. Awwwwwwz I wish I could add an emoticon that fully expresses the feels this gives me! :3 It’s kinda like with all of Artoo’s close calls, where you know that droids can be fixed, but you’re never sure what qualifies as “beyond repair” or not. So I know I’m super super thankful to see AP-5 back on his feet. And after the slightest sign of sweet friendship between the two… they start arguing again. “LANGUAGE LIKE THAT WILL GET YOU DISINTEGRATED ON SIX SYSTEMS! I SHOULD REPORT YOU MYSELF!!” XD The rest of the crew stares as if they have no idea how to respond to this rather peculiar brand of friendship, but I know, and you know, that these two droids are brothers in arms… and legs 😀
SORRY I JUST HAD TO RUIN THE MOMENT AND GET ONE MORE LEG JOKE IN! This episode was truly an absolute blast. We can always use more droid duos! What’s great is that, though they share some similarity to Artoo and Threepio, their relationship and personalities are uniquely their own and make for a perfect team that fits perfectly into the SW galaxy! AP-5 is the perfect counterpart to Chopper, and I definitely am excited to see more of them again! So until next post…